Electric light clamp



March 1, 1955 D. B. MILLER 2,703,359

ELECTRIC LIGHT CLAMP Filed June 11, 1948 ,m i j? INVENTOR.

By @JM" United States Patent ELECTRIC LIGHT CLAMP Daniel B. Miller, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor. to Miller Electric Company, a corporation ofRhode Island Application June 11, 1948, Serial No. 32,319

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-10) The present invention relates to decorative light arrangements such as are used for Christmas trees, wreaths, and other decorations, and has particular reference to novel clamp arrangements for attaching the husk assemblies to branches and twigs of trees, wreaths, and other decorations.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a clamp which is readily mounted on a husk assembly for firmly locking it to a branch or twig of a decoration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp which includes a seal for the husk assembly, and particularly for the apertures between the electric lamp and the husk and the wire leads and the husk, to prevent entry of foreign bodies such as tinsel or the like.

A further object is to provide an attaching clamp for a husk assembly which also locks the lamp against loosening in its socket during transportation and when the lamp is in use.

With the above and other desirable objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claim appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a Christmas tree branch, with two husk assemblies clamped thereto, one assembly being partially broken away to disclose the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a preferred clamp;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified clamp construction;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view disclosing how the clamp of Fig. 3 may be used to suspend a husk assembly from a branch;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another modified clamp construction;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view disclosing one manner of using the clamp of Fig. 5 for attaching a husk assembly to a branch;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of another modified construction.

for a clamp;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view disclosing one arrangement for the clamp of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of another modified clamp construction;

Fig. 10 discloses an attaching arrangement for the clamp of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of still another clamp construction.

It has been found desirable to provide a clamp arrangement of simple type for attaching a husk assembly to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree, wreath, or other decoration, whereby each lamp of a string or set may be securely locked in place. To this end, I provide a clamp of flexible insulating material, which may be factory mounted on the string or set, or may be subsequently mounted thereon, the clamp including a strap which may be passed around a branch or twig, an annular retainer ring which encircles the wire leads, and an annular sealing ring which is locked between the upper portion of the husk and the base of the lamp, whereby the husk assembly is completely sealed against entry of foreign material such as tinsel or the like; the sealing ring also provides a resilient compressible element between the husk and the lamp base which serves as a lock washer for preventing loosening of the lamp base from its socket in the husk.

Referring to the drawings, two husk assemblies 10 are illustrated as attached to a decorative branch or twig 11 by means of a clamp 12.- Each husk assembly. includes a husk 13 having thelusual open top 14 and containing a metallic sleeve 15. of the usual type to receive the threaded base 16 of a' lamp 17',the lead wires 18 passilrg into the assembly through the usual base opening The'clamp 12, seeFig. '2, is preferably of flexible material, such as Vinylite'or. other resin, but may. be of paper, fireproofed textile, or other suitable material which is insulating as well as flexible. The clamp includes a central strap 20, an enlarged upper ring 21 having an opening 22 and a lower ring 23 having an opening 24. The clamp 12 is designed to be factory mounted, with the lead wires 18 passing through the lower ring, whereby the strap 20 may be passed over a branch or twig and the upper ring 21 positioned on the upper end of the husk 13. When the lamp 17 is threaded into the husk the lamp base passes through the opening 22 and locks the parts together, the upper ring 21 sealing the upper portion of the husk assembly and locking the assembly together, and the lower ring 23 sealing the husk base opening 19 and retaining the clamp element on the lead wires. Further, the resilient action of the ring 21 holds the lamp against loosening in the socket; and the terminal 21 may also be factory positioned over the husk top to prevent loosening of the lamp during transportatlon.

When the clamp is to be sold separately for applying to a previously purchased set of lights, it is preferred to use the construction shown in Fig. 3, wherein the clamp 24 has a strap 25, an upper sealing and locking ring 26, and a lower sealing and retaining ring 27, a slit 28 being found in the strap and extending to the opening 29 of the lower ring 27 to permit passage of the strap over the lamp and the husk for positioning the lower ring over the lead wires. The provision of a slit in the strap permits suspension of the husk assembly from a branch or twig, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

For certain constructions such as outdoor lighting sets, a clamp such as illustrated in Fig. 5 may be used. The clamp 30 has a strap 31 and two terminal rings 32, 33, whereby the strap may be bent around a branch or twig and the two rings locked between the lamp and the husk as illustrated in Fig. 6; the husk assembly is thus supported and is sealed against entry of foreign material, and the lamp is locked in the socket.

When it is desirable to provide a clamp lock which equalizes the clamping strain, the constructions of Figs. 7 or 9 may be used. The clamp 34 of Fig. 7 has a central ring 35, two straps 36, 37, and two terminal rings 38, 39, whereby the clamp may be secured to the husk assembly as illustrated in Fig. 8, this type providing a better seal for the husk top. Or the clamp 40 of Fig. 9 may be used, with a central ring 41, two straps 42, 43, and two end rings 44, 45, whereby a double lock is obtained at the lead wire opening, as shown in Fig. 10, the central ring seating on the husk top to seal the top and lock the lamp in place.

The above described clamps are preferably of flexible bendable material. When a more rigid type of clamp is preferred, made from molded material or the like, a clamp 46 such as illustrated in Fig. 11 may be used, comprising a lower ring 47 adapted to be mounted over the lead wires, a strap 48 which may have projections or teeth 49 extending towards the husk, and an upper sealing and insulating ring 50 which is adapted to seat on the husk top and to be slightly compressed when the lamp is threaded into its socket.

The clamp may, if desired, include a flexible strap with terminal rings of rigid or semi-rigid material, and the strap may be of metal and may have a clip blanked out or riveted thereto; it is preferred, however, that the rings in all embodiments be of insulating material.

Although I have described specific constructional embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the clamp parts, and in the material thereof, may be made to suit the requirements for different clamping needs, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination with a'husk assembly for attaching to aChristmas tree, comprising an open top husk shell, a lamp detachably secured therein,;and lead wires extending through thebase of. the husk shell, a clamp having a fiexible strap and a' flexible terminal ring at each end thereof, said strapjand terminal rings being of nonmetallic compressible material, the said terminal rings being detachably fixed in contacting alignment between the lamp and the husk shell top for sealing the space between the lamp and the husk shell, one of said rings contacting the husk shell topand the other contacting the lamp whereby the flexible strap forms an oval loop adapted to receive a branch-of a Christmas tree.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,336,527 Lewis et al Apr. 13, 1920 1,924,596 Davis Aug. 29, 1933 2,114,071 Chaney et al. Apr. 12, 1938 2,263,277 Shumann Nov. 18, 1941 2,331,877 Welfield et al. Oct. 19, 1943 2,381,011 Splaine Aug. 7, 1945 2,461,427 Kneebone Feb. 8, 1949 

